I work like a woman

Did anyone read this recent Age article about different gender agendas in the workplace? A survey of 7000 people seeking work discovered significant differences in the values men and women have about the workplace and work culture. I was fascinated to see that I scored like a typical woman in the survey.

The most important factor for men was career progression opportunities, whereas women wanted a flexible working environment. I never consider progression opportunities within an organisation. I come in to do a single role and expect my next role to be elsewhere. I’m all about the flexibility here and now.

Second most important for men was the financial stability, but women prefer a strong (presumably positive) workplace culture. Again, I don’t care about the stability of the employer as I don’t expect there to be there long enough for it to matter, and with government agencies and departments it’s not much of an issue anyway. I don’t want to work in a place that’s full of macho alpha male fucksticks and bitchy backstabbing princesses, or where management do their best to undermine and demotivate their staff.

The third most important workplace characteristic for men was strong management or leadership, but for women it was a convenient location. Again, I’m with women. I refuse to commute for more than 30 minutes (whether walking, cycling, using public transport or motorcycling, so regardless of the distance and mode of transport I effectively refuse to work outside the CBD and inner suburbs. Commuting is a suburban disease and I’m immune. I refuse to apply for jobs that don’t disclose which suburb they’re in.

The fourth workplace characteristic for men was to have an employer with a strong reputation, whereas for women it was to have a good work life balance. I simply don’t play the macho workplace politics. I don’t need to identify with my employer and I don’t do 60 hours for anyone. You pay me for 40 hours and that’s what you get.

The only measure I don’t feel so strongly about is the last one. In fifth place for men was job security, but for women it was learning and development opportunities. I relate more to the latter than the former mainly because security is not so important to me.

Work does not dominate my life. I think it’s fundamentally unhealthy for it to dominate people’s lives the way it does. For me, establishing a comfortable work life balance in each role has been far more important than climbing the ladder, earning the dollars and licking more arses…

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